Calm After the Storm
by 221silentwordsnotspoken
Summary: Molly and John bonding. Post Reichenbach - One Week.
1. Chapter 1: Molly

January 22nd

Molly

_3 AM was when she heard the first crash._

Molly had gotten home from a long, painful day at work. There had been a fire at a school and three children, aged 5, 10, and 7 had died, and she was the one performing the autopsies. It was so hard not to cry while she was there, and she broke down the second she got home. She had faced so much death and non-death in the past week, and while she had kept a cool head with Sherlock, he was gone now, and for all she knew, he could be dead too. She chastised herself for thinking so. She knew she had to keep faith in Sherlock. But she still couldn't handle the thought of making dinner, let alone eating it, so she skipped and headed straight to her shower, happy to get the smell of chemicals and death out of her skin and hair. She changed into her white and pink pajamas and plopped herself in front of her television, where she fell asleep while watching the episode of Graham Norton she'd DVRed.

_3 AM was when she heard the first crash._

There was the sound of glass shattering, and Molly's eyes flew open. Her window was crashed in and she grabbed her phone from the table next to her and dialled the first number that came to her mind: the number to 221B Baker Street. Molly held the phone tightly as gun shots rang out from the streets. Her other windows crashed in and she backed into her kitchen. She thought all the shooting had stopped, when she crept closer to edge of the window. The floor rumbled. Molly was thrown across her flat and the last thing she remembered was feeling something wet and red drip onto her nose.


	2. Chapter 2:John

January 22nd

John

_3 AM was when he got her phone call._

John had a long day. When did he not have a long day? He'd gone to jail for punching the superintendant so long ago. He was back. Sherlock's funeral still hadn't happened. Everywhere he went, reporters followed him. He cried. Every. Single. Night. And he couldn't stop. The lack of Sherlock in his life was causing him to collapse internally. He'd never show it to anyone. That day, he went to the clinic. He had no patients. Sarah took them all, apparently. He didn't want her sympathy. He just wanted a distraction. His limp was back, but he couldn't afford to take cabs anymore what with the rent, and he limped home every day with his cane. Mrs. Hudson let him in and she would just watch him sadly. She made him tea that night; he didn't even touch it. John turned on the telly and sat in his chair. Once the evening news came on, he shut off the television and went to bed.

_3 AM was when he got her phone call._

John's eyes flew open as the sound of something ringing pulled him out of his turning dreams and nightmares. He trudged down the stairs and answered the phone. Before he could say anything, he heard shots, a loud rumble, and a female scream. He could recognise the voice. He'd heard the same voice yelp in surprise plenty of times at St. Bart's before. Molly Hooper. Everything went silent after the scream. John limped up to his room, dressed and pulled his coat on and left the flat, leaving a note for Mrs. Hudson.

**Mrs. Hudson. **

**Molly called. Something bad happened. I'm going to go check on her. **

**John**


	3. Chapter 3: Molly

January 22nd

Molly

_3:45 AM_

Molly was out cold. Shards of glass from her pretty flower vase cut her skin and the roof collapsed, breaking her ribs. If she had been conscious, she would have felt a shard of bone, pressing at her lungs. It was like she'd been hit by a car. Debris was piled up on her. The phone she'd been on was still in her hand, on. Her entire living room was blown apart. Sirens were beginning to blare as the police and paramedics and John Watson arrived on the scene.

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A/N: Sorry this one is short and late. And, also, Thank you for the kind reviews, Hummingbird1759 and MarineBiologist. I'll definitely try to keep updating as frequent as possible. Have a great day. :)

xx -P.


	4. Chapter 4: John

January 22nd  
John  
_3:45 AM_  
John arrived at Molly's blown apart flat just at the same time as Lestrade did. The two men ran up the stairs, and while Lestrade started looking for causes for the explosion in the debris, John looked for Molly, finding her next to the kitchen, under a pile of roof. His stomach turned a little, and he managed to get her out without hurting her more. He'd done it plenty of times while in Afghanistan. He cradled her head, her face matted with blood. Lestrade turned and saw her, and his stomach twisted. He stared for a moment before calling the paramedics. The paramedics came and set her on the gurney and rolled away. John rubbed a hand over his face and followed them down. The night was going to be long, and he didn't really even mind.

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**A/N: Sorry it's late and weirdly formatted. Trying to do this on my iPad. :P Enjoy! **

**-P. xx**


	5. Chapter 5: Molly

January 22nd  
Molly  
_5:00 AM_  
Molly opened her eyes and a pain sliced through her head and torso. She moaned and she felt a warm hand taking hers in theirs. She shifted her eyes down a little and a familiar face with sandy hair and blue eyes came into view. "J-John?" Her voice was small and quiet, and he smiled at her. "Hey."

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A/N: Thanks for still reading! I'm really sorry these chapters have been short. the next few will be longer, I promise. :) Reviews maybe? Criticism is appreciated.

Have a great weekend! Take care.

-P. xx


	6. Chapter 6: John

January 22nd  
John  
_5:00 AM_  
John stayed by Molly throughout the whole operation. Molly had three broken ribs, a nasty gash across her head and her ankle was broken. One of thr broken ribs was pressed up against her lung and was close to popping it. While in the ambulence, John asked to operate kn her. He knew he could properly take care of her and he needed to make sure he didn't lose her. He couldn't lose her. He set her on a steady morphine drip and a mild anisthetic before starting to open her chest. He worked quickly and meticulously. He'd done this many many times while in Afghanistan and it was almost second nature. He asked the nurses to clean and take care of the gash on Molly's head. Once Molly's ribs were set, he moved to stitch the cut on her leg. The other paramedics wrapped her ankle. She was finally alright and he took her off the morphine. The pain would subside by the time she woke up. At this point, they were already at Bart's. He stayed by her the whole time. Finally, she moved and he was instantly at her side. John took her hand and rubbed a little bit of warmth into her fingers. She opened her eyes. "J-John?" He gave her a small smile. "Hey."

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**A/N: See! I fulfilled my promise of a longer chapter. :) I hope you like it. Reviews are appreciated greatly. **

**Take care and enjoy your weekend. **

**-P. xx**


	7. Chapter 7: Molly

January 22nd  
Molly  
_5:10 AM_

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Molly took a few deep breaths. "It hurts..." She let her voice trail off a little bit, not whining. He chuckled and smiled. "You broke a few bones, Molls. You made it through the surgery and everything wonderfully. Your, erm...your house kinda... Blew up..." He frowned and she just smiled a little.  
"You operated on me, didn't you? How did you know?"  
"You called me." He squeezed her hand and she nodded. So that's who she'd called. She closed her eyes and breathed in the overly purified, antiseptic air of the hospital. She felt John's hand rubbing against hers and she opened her eyes to look at him, properly look at him. Her heart almost broke.

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**A/N: tried new formatting. Sorry this was late. I suppose I'm going to be forever apologising for that. :) **

**Take care and have a good day.**

**x P.**


	8. Chapter 8: Thoughts from Molly Hooper

January 22nd  
Molly: John and Sherlock  
_5:10 AM_

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John's eyes were dark with circles under them. He looked tired and weathered. Hisnshoulder was stiff, and it was obvious he was trying to make it seem as if he were alright. His hair was mussy; he'd just gotten out of bed. His clothes were rumpled, showing that he'd not even bothered changing out of his clothes, which hung limply on him. He hadn't eaten. His hands were warm, but somewhat stiff and he flexed his left hand often. Over all, John looked...older.

It had only been a week since Sherlock's fall, and Molly was astonished at just how much it had impacted John.  
She herself had seen Sherlock off to the airport the day before. For all she knew, today, he could be dead. He could be dying. Or he could be perfectly healthy, and he could be off doing what he had set out to do when he'd left: destroy Moriarty's web. She didn't know where he was...but something inside of her told her that Sherlock was okay. He was alive. But she couldn't tell John. She couldn't give him what he needed to fix himself and it was just about enough to bring her to tears.

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**A/N: So, I guess this is just transport...explaining John, where Sherlock is, etc. I'll get back to plot tomorrow. Critique of all sorts is appreciated! **

**Take care. Have a great day! **

**x P. **


	9. Chapter 9: John

January 22nd  
John  
_5:15 AM_

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John watched Molly as she processed everything. He kept holding her hands, keeping them warm. He could feel her eyes on him when her eyelids opened, holding him under an inquisitive stare he knew all too well. Just thinking about... him made John's eyes water with tears he refused to let spill. But Molly knew. She knew that Sherlock was real. She believed in him too. How could she not? They said she had to do the autopsy. Poor girl... And she had been so in love with him. That same girl, he noticed, wasn't there in the hospital bed in front of him. This wasn't the Molly who constantly made coffee and stuttered and blushed frequently. This was Molly Hooper, pathologist and a friend. Not Molly, the supplier of various body parts and an entry to the morgue. He had been so caught up in Sher-him, that John hadn't even really noticed Molly, not really so, anyways. And there, he saw her. He could hear the heart moniter with its steady beeps in the back ground, the nubs going around her face, supplying oxygen to her lungs, despite her obvious ability to breathe on her own. He saw the cut on her head, and he saw the freckles on her cheeks. The swelling on her face from the impact had reduced almost completely and she looked perfectly normal now. Her eyes were glazed over, glistening in what appeared to be tears begging for excape from they eyelids that trapped them.

John sat silently next to Molly. Neither needed to really say anything, did they? They sat as such for a few minutes until John broke the silence, asking a question that, really, surprised John as much as it surprised Molly.  
"Did you really love him?"

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**A/N: Thanks for all the kind reviews! They mean loads! I PROMISE I'm going to get to proper plot next! **

**Take care, and have a wonderful Wednesday! **

**x P.**


	10. Chapter 10: Molly

January 22nd

Molly

_5:17 AM_

****Molly was holding his hand tight, wondering what he was thinking. She could see sparklings of tears forming in his eyes and she just wanted to die; it hurt so much to be keeping something from him. She was about to speak, say something to break the silence when he spoke up, blurting out a question she wasn't expecting to hear.

"Did you really love him?"

Molly snapped out of her reverie and stared at him, a little blankly, before it sinking in who he was talking about. Molly's cheeks flushed and she just gave him a quick nod before dropping her eyes to their joined hands, frowning a little. She was scared a little of what he was going to say... scared he was going to say he loved Sherlock too.


	11. Chapter 11: John

January 22nd  
John  
_5:20 AM_

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John awaited Molly's answer and was rewarded with her curt nod and the blush that rose to her cheeks. He could only imagine how much she was hurting. John didn't want to tell her that Sherlock had loved her back. Sherlock didn't love. He probably was up in heaven right then, laughing at how foolish the two of them were for grieving his death. John shook his head. He spoke carefully and slowly, making each word count as best he could without upsetting either of them. He didn't want to talk about this. In fact, it was the last thing he wanted to talk about, and he was almost positive she didn't either, but the subject of Sherlock was out and on the table anyways.  
"He...was...married to his work. But he did care about you... Despite...never...showing it... He cared about you. And...if...if he had...given...relationships in general...a chance... I think... I think you two would have been-"  
"Stop." Molly's voice quavered as she spoke, tears spilling over onto her cheeks. "Please...don't..."

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**A/N: Thank you all a million for the kind reviews! They've made my day amazing. I love you all! **

**Take care. Happy Friday!**

**x P.**


	12. Chapter 12: Molly

January 22nd  
Molly  
_5:22 AM_

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"Stop." Molly's voice quavered as she spoke, tears spilling over. "Please...don't..."  
She wiped the tears from her face with her free hand and swallowed back sobs.  
Wrong.  
John was wrong. Sherlock wouldn't love her. He couldn't. He didn't love anyone, save Mrs. Hudson and maybe even John. Definitely John. But she was sure he didn't love them, well, most definitely not Mrs. Hudson, the way she loved him. And he would definitely never love her back.  
Molly closed her eyes and sunk back down into her pillow. She saw Sherlock at the aeroport, turning around to wave a hand goodbye in a very Un-Sherlock fashion. A kiss blown to her, his alias' girlfriend, and he was gone.  
Molly opened her eyes and shooks her head. "No, John. He never did and never will." She closed her eyes again, repeating the scene over and over in her head. She let herself hurt. What did it matter? He was gone. She had to remember that. He was never coming back. He was gone. Gone... Gone forever. She had to remember. She had to.

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**A/N: Sorry it's so late! I have been SO busy lately. It's awful.**

**Thank you all for your continued support! **

**Take care and have a good day.**

**x P**.


	13. Chapter 13: John

January 22nd  
John  
_5:25 AM_

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John listened to her and he wondered how long she'd thought this. She probably told herself this every night, every time Sherlock had been rude to her. It pained him to see her so lost of hope. Molly was a beautiful and incredibly smart woman. And she truly believed that she was unloveable. He squeezed her hand.

"No, Molly. He did love you. Perhaps not the way you did him, but you mattered. He relied on you so much. You were there for him for so long; you always have been. He counted on you. You. Matter. If anything happened to you, he'd have done anything to keep you safe. Molly Hooper, you've always counted. He's always trusted you. You have always been important to him."  
He reached up and wiped her tears from her face. "It'll all be alright, Molls. All will be well, I promise."  
John hoped it was a promise he could keep.

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**A/N: Wow... It's been a while. I'm sorry for the infrequency of updates! I'll try to update more frequently. Keyword being "try".**

**Take care And have a great day/night! **

**x P.**


	14. Chapter 14: Molly

January 22nd  
Molly  
_5:25 AM_

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Molly sat in silence, stunned at John's words. How did he... He repeated what Sherlock had said to her a month ago. The memory stung her mind and tears fell to her cheeks. A sharp pain shot through her chest and she winced.  
She felt a headache set in and a splitting pain settled. She could barely tell what was happening, but there was a flash of John's hand reaching over and pressing a button. A woman came in and fiddled with the machine next to her.  
Molly slipped away into a dark oblivion as the pain slowly subsided. John's name was on her lips as she slowly blacked out.

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**A/N: I'm sorry for this being late-ish. And for reuploading the last one, but there were typos. :/ I hope you like. Reviews are appreciated. **

**x P.**


	15. Chapter 15: John

John  
January 22nd  
_5:30 AM_

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John let the nurse administer the medication to Molly, squeezing her hand as she went to sleep. The nurse left and John sat closer to Molly. His hand rerached out to touch her face and wipe the tears from her cheeks. Such a stupid, stupid man, Sherlock had been to not see Molly Hooper and how beautiful she was and to have not given her the love and respect she deserved. He pulled his hand away and settled back in the corner of the room and drifted off as well.

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**A/N: Sorry for the late update. School. Um. I hope this is adequate for now. There will be another update this week. **

**Reviews are appreciated. **

**Take care. x**


	16. Chapter 16: John

John

January 22nd

_8:40 AM_

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A few hours later, John wakes up, a bit groggy.

The analogue wall clock read about 8:40-ish. Molly was still sleeping, despite the fact that the drug had worn off. John let's her sleep and he stretches to straighten out the kinks in his joints. He really wasn't as young as he used to be...

He wonders if he should go eat, but Molly could wake up any minute, and she shouldn't be alone. But at the same time, he wasn't sure if he really wanted to eat. So he paced around the room.

He turned around to face Molly and sat next to her, taking a deep breath. He looked at her, seeing her serene, dreaming face. She looked... unlike how he'd ever seen her. She'd always been so meek and shy. This woman was not that. She was bold and brilliant and it was almost scary how little he knew her, how little anyone did.

He never really did think about it until now, but Molly had dated Jim Moriarty. She'd probably kissed him and brought him home and truly cared for him. And he had just been using her. Just like Sherlock always had... though he had never shown Molly any affection. Molly had the worst luck with men, it seemed. She was probably very hurt to know about J-Moriarty. And with Sherlock's death being just a few hours after... He shook his head, not wanting to think about it. Leaning over, John kissed Molly's forehead. "I'm sorry, Molls. I am so, so sorry..."

Just then, the door opened and a blonde nurse with a brown paper bag and flowers came in, freezing at the door. John pulled away from Molly upon hearing the door open and froze as well. The two stared at each other and Molly stirred, her eyes opening.

"Mm... How long was I- Mary? What are you doing here?"

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**A/N: YAY! Mary! I couldn't go about this without some light shipping soooo my second favourite ship- Mary/John :)**

**Honestly, I think this could end up being a bit Sherlolly too if it gets to a point where Sherlock's introduced, but that might be a separate fic...**

**If you have any suggestions/thoughts on this, please let me know! PM me, or write it in the reviews. **

**Enjoy your weekends and good luck to those of you that've got exams! **

**x P.**


	17. Chapter 17: Molly

Molly

January 22nd

9:00 AM

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Molly woke up from a dreamless sleep. She could hear John's paces and she slowly opened her eyes. As she awoke, she saw John near her and smiled, but his eyes weren't on her. Molly followed his eyes and her eyes widened.

"M-Mary? What are you doing here?" John shifted and Mary came in, smiling. "I heard you'd been admitted. So I made you a bunch of muffins. They have awful food here, y'know. Um. I thought you'd be alone..." Mary turned her attention to John, eyeing him up and down. "I'm Mary," she says and extends a hand to shake. John takes her hand and brings it to his lips, a smile curving them upwards. "John. Nice to meet you." He looks up, but doesn't release her hand.

Molly watches the two and smiles. "John had patched me up and has been here... I've told you about him. He was, um, he was Sh-Sherlock's flatmate..." Her voice trailed off and her smile dropped. Mary let out a small 'o', remembering all that Molly'd told her. She squeezed John's hand. "I'm sorry," she said, "I know how hard that is. But, uh, you've got Molls to keep you sane, yeah?" Mary looked back at Molly and pulled away from John to sit near her. She cleared her throat. "Now. Are you going to tell me how you got yourself here, or am I going to go hunting for answers myself?"

Molly pursed her lips. "My flat exploded... I was on the phone with John and my flat had exploded..."

John sat next to Mary. "Yeah, do you know anything about that? Lestrade will probably be wanting to talk to you about it. What happened?"

Molly shook her head. "I dunno. It just. Happened."

Mary put the muffins on Molly's lap. "Well, you can't stay at home now. If you want, you could come stay with me."

John then intervened. "Actually, um, I-I was going to ask you just that, Molly. Um. Well. It's just. Lestrade thinks the whole explosion might have been related to one of Moriarty's followers so... Just to keep you safe, we thought it'd be best if you stayed at Baker Street"

Molly bit her lip. Moriarty... His men... Sherlock. What would Sherlock want her to do? Stay with John, obviously. How cross would he be with her if she stayed with Mary? Very. Her job was to make sure John was safe and happy. They'd be safe at Baker Street. And Mary wouldn't be involved...

"Thanks for offering, Mary, but John's right. It'll be safer- for both of us- if I stay at Baker Street."

John smiled. "So I guess it's settled."

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**A/N: Hi! Sorry for taking SO very long to update! It's been busy... But summer's almost here, which means more writing time! YAY!**

**Thanks for responding to other chapters!**

**Reviews are always appreciated. :)**

**Have a great weekend!**

**xP.**


	18. Chapter 18: John

John

January 22nd

9:30 AM

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Molly had been given a painkiller not long after having woken. John left the room, and the blonde nurse, Mary, followed him out. She stopped him in the hallway.

"Thanks," she said with a small smile on her face.

John just smiled back at her and shook his head.

"Whatever for?"

"For helping Molly. We went to uni together, y'know. She's never mentioned you, Doctor Watson, but you both seem very close. I'm sure I can trust you to take care of her while all this gets settled."

John nodded and listened. He looked away for a moment when she mentioned how close he was to Molly.

"We're just friends, um, Mary, right? And, it'd be best for her if she stayed with me. Lestrade thinks that Molly's flat blowing up has something to do with a man named Jim Moriarty," John spits the name out as if it were poison and takes a deep breath. "M-Molly can explain everything later. I-I don't exactly think I could... I've just... I've got to go. T-tell Molly I'll be back, okay? A-and don't let anyone in unless it's the DI."

With that, John gives Mary a quick nod and leaves. John needed to see Sherlock.

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**A/N: So... it's been a while. I'm sorry. Not really. It's been a rough few weeks. School let out, yeah, but, I've not exactly been top notch.**

**No matter though! I'm not making any promises. I'll just say... this will be updated whenever I can update. How's that?**

**As for the general plot goes, expect shipping soon! YAY!**

**Reviews are always appreciated. **

**See you next chapter. :)**


	19. Chapter 19: Molly

**TW: Nightmares, Blood**

Molly

January 22nd

9:30 AM

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Molly closed her eyes and delved into the deep recesses of her mind as Mary and John both left the room.

She tried to mull over the events of the past couple hours, and how quickly it had all happened. The drug settled in, and Molly's mind slowly shifted gears from worrying about the future to Sherlock.

Her thoughts surrounded his eyes and his hair and his white skin and cheekbones, every detail crisp and clear. There was a pressure on her waist and she saw his hands holding her close to him. The hand that wasn't on her waist was on her cheek, brushing the hair from her face, and Molly's heart felt like it was going to burst. One of his sweeter melodies, probably one he'd played for her while at her flat, flowed in the background.

Suddenly, the music changed to something more dramatic. Sixteenth notes flew about and Sherlock's face changed. His eyes went from fire to rain. A storm erupted before Molly's eyes as red blood wept from his forehead and eyes, his nose, the corner of his mouth. Molly's mouth dropped open and the air in her lungs was sucked out. A laugh filled her ears and as Sherlock slid out of her fingers, something seemed to seize her heart and squeeze it.


	20. Chapter 20: John

John

January 22nd

9:45 AM

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John tapped his foot impatiently in the cab. When it finally stopped, he tossed a few bills at the cabbie and walked as quick as he could to Sherlock's grave. The minute he saw the headstone, he fell to his knees and touched the cool, black, marble. Stray tears fell from his eyes, and he pressed his forehead to the stone.

"Where are you, Sherlock? Where are you? Molly's... she's in the hospital." He took a deep breath as he pulled away from the headstone. "We think it's to do with Moriarty. At least, I think it does. Her flat's been blown up, a-and she almost died. You know what, Sherlock?" Bitterness slipped into his voice and he looked away from the marble with gold letters.

"As much as I miss you, this one's on you. How... how could you do this to Molly? Do you have any idea how much she did for you? O-or... how much she _loves_ you? Loves._ Not loved_. Have you any idea of what she's_ given_ for you? She almost lost her job last week. Her bloody flat is blown up. I _operated on her_, Sherlock! Sherlock..." John gave out a resigned sigh.

"Molly's coming to Baker Street with me. She's staying with me, and I hope she'll be safe. But... please. Please, Sherlock. If you cared about her or loved her in any way at all, please send her a sign. Please tell her you did. Somehow. I-I know you can't do that. I-I mean... I know... I know you're n-not here. P-please tell her somehow that you cared. Sh-she needs you. I-I... I need you..." John sat down properly and took a few deep breaths.

"We miss you a lot, Sherlock. Lestrade, Molly, Mike, hell, even Anderson and Mycroft! Mrs. Hudson especially... I, uh. I met someone today. Her name's Mary, and she's a friend of Molly's and... she's sweet. And lovely. And... she's beautiful, Sherlock. The most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on. I-I'm not really ready to start dating. But... just being around her... Sh-she m-makes the pain go a-away..." John choked up and brushed the tears off his cheek. "I miss you. I'm going to head back to the hospital now, Sherlock. To take care of Molly. I miss you. So so much. Talk to you tomorrow..."

And with that, the soldier stood up, brushed the dirt off his knees, and saluted the headstone. He briskly turned around and limped off.

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**A/N: Hi! Thanks for bearing with me for so long! I'm so sorry it's taking me so much time to write. I've been on and off of writer's block. :( BUT I'M BACK! And ready to update this one, as well as my other.**

**Thanks for reading, for leaving comments and favourites and stuff anda sjfka;djf;lkjr;asd;d ya'lll are amazing. 333**

**Love you!**

**xP**


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